Visionary Briefing 27 September 2017

News from across the sector for our members

We want the Visionary Briefing to be informed by our members, as well as a useful source of information. Therefore, if you have any news stories, job vacancies or events to advertise, please send them to us by email.
If this format does not suit you, please let us know via email and we will be happy to provide it in another format.

 

This week

Spotlight – good news stories from our members and partners
Visionary Matters – keyupdates from Visionary central
Key news – this issue’s top news story
Also this week – other news items of interest
Dates for your diary – summary of events and training relevant to members

 

Spotlight

Bradbury Fields, in Liverpool, have recently secured a multi-year sensory contract from Knowsley Council. Previously, Knowsley Council managed a range of providers to deliver their sensory services, alongside Bradbury Fields, which is a key sight loss service provider. However, Knowsley Council preferred a single sensory contract and Bradbury Fields, who work closely with other local sensory providers, successfully developed a partnership bid and are now the lead on the sensory contract. Read more

 

Visionary Matters

Visionary staffing changes

Matt Carr, our Head of Member Services left Visionary on Friday to take up a new secondment opportunity at RP Fighting Blindness. Matt has led the Member Engagement and Development & Innovation teams during a time of continued growth, extending our influence and expanding our services. We will miss Matt but wish him the best of luck in his new role.
 
As a result, we are recruiting a new Head of Member Services and would be grateful if you could promote this exciting opportunity throughout your networks. The closing date is 16 October. Read more

Visionary Annual Conference 2017

Time is running out to book your place at this year’s Visionary Annual Conference. We have limited availability so avoid disappointment and book soon. For full details and how to book please click here 

Charity Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) (FRS 102) – senior personnel salary information

We are aware that a few members have recently been discussing the impact of Charities SORP (FRS 102). A key issue that has been raised, is the disclosure of senior personnel salary information in the published charity accounts, with obvious concerns being expressed about confidentiality of personal salary information. As with all regulations, some points are quite specific with others less so and more “open to interpretation”. We’ve taken some soundings from an experienced charity accountant to help members as they work with their financial advisors regarding meeting the reporting requirements. Read more

Rehab working group

We are looking for members who can attend approximately 3 meetings a year, via teleconference.  The group will oversee other Rehab related projects which are being delivered by Visionary and its stakeholders.  The group have previously been involved in the Making Rehab Work pilot which set out to determine what levels of rehabilitative support could be provided by non-rehab qualified individuals. We are looking for members who have a specific interest in outcome measurement around rehabilitation. If you are interested please contact us.

 

Key news

Following the publication of the Draft Accessibility Action Plan (AAP) the Department for Transport is running a number of events for interested parties to come and discuss the draft Plan. Read more

 

Also this week

The Macular Society has launched a petition this week to stop people from needlessly losing their sight. Read more

Law Works have produced a free series of short online videos about common legal issues faced by small charities. Read more

Facebook set to launch fundraising toils that will allow people to donate through social media. Read more

Disability Rights UK is working with partners across the country to find new ways to engage disabled people in physical activity. Read more

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Eye Health and Visual Impairment is running an Inquiry into the issue of capacity in NHS eye care services in England. Read more

 

Dates for your diary

28 September – Disability Rights UK Job Tips Webinar. Read more
4 October – Eye Contact Expo, Hampshire. Read more
1 – 2 November – Visionary Annual Conference, Birmingham. Read more
5 November – RSBC Blindfold run, London. Read more
7 November – SCOVI Annual Conference, Perth. Read more
23 November – Visibility Whisky tasting evening, Glasgow. Read more

 

Don’t miss

Member news on our website
Sector vacancies on our website
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14 Nov 2018
Visionary Annual Conference 2018: Round up

Visionary Annual Conference 2018: Round up

Thank you to everyone who joined us at this year’s Visionary Annual Conference, held on 24 and 25 October at the Aston Conference Centre in Birmingham. We hope you agree that it was a great opportunity to network, share ideas and learn from each other. We certainly came away feeling inspired and that we are all “Stronger Together”! 204 delegates from 81 organisations attended, which is an encouraging increase on last year. The two-day programme comprised of one plenary session, 28 workshops, 15 exhibitors and 8 speakers. We were fortunate enough to welcome experts from both within and outside the sight loss and wider sectors, giving delegates a comprehensive view of the voluntary sector landscape. An informal networking event in the Aston Conference Centre bar and restaurant kicked off the event on the Tuesday evening. Although not officially part of the conference, it provided a good chance for delegates to get together for a catch up and refresh after some very long journeys. [image above shows a large Visionary banner saying ‘a brighter future through partnership. In the background there are delegates registering for the conference.]   Visionary CEO, Fiona Sandford formally opened the conference on Wednesday 24 October.  This […]

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Annual Conference Latest News
12 May 2017
Leadership Conferences 2017 round up and working with the RNIB

Leadership Conferences 2017 round up and working with the RNIB

The 2017 Visionary Leadership Conferences (formerly the CEO Conferences) were held in London, York, Manchester and Bristol in March. We had a total of 63 members attending from 46 organisations and all threw themselves into some lively discussions and debates, so thank you to all of you who attended.   Alison started the day with an overview of what has been happening at Visionary central over the last year and how we have expanded our focus from the initial priorities around engagement to more active work with members. This included some discussion around the latest Visionary Roadmap which can be seen here – Visionary Roadmap / Visionary Roadmap (text). This was followed by an update from Keith Valentine, Deputy CEO of the Thomas Pocklington Trust, who outlined the plans for bringing together VISION 2020 UK and the UK Vision Strategy to provide a unified body for the eye health and sight loss sector. As part of this he set out the importance of Visionary’s role in contributing to these plans and ably dealt with some healthy challenges and questions from members on the topic. Andy Haynes and Alexa Sage then led an interactive session with members on different approaches to Income […]

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Events Leadership Conferences

Visionary Trustee Briefing May 2017
16 May 2017

Visionary Trustee Briefing – May 2017 Welcome to the first Visionary Trustee Briefing. You are receiving this email because you have indicated that you are a trustee/board member (referred to as “trustees” for the purposes of this newsletter) of a local sight loss organisation which is a member of Visionary. If this format does not suit you, please let us know viavisionary@visionary.org.uk and we will be happy to provide it in another format.   Introduction Visionary is a membership organisation for local sight loss charities – sometimes known as local societies or associations for blind and partially sighted people. Bringing together a wealth of experience and expertise in the sector, Visionary acts as the collective national voice for local sight loss charities and supports all those involved in the operation of local sight loss charities. Our members range from small voluntary groups through to larger organisations providing a range of services.   Why this briefing? In late 2016 and early 2017 we conducted a survey asking how we could best support trustees in their roles. The majority of respondents identified that they wanted support to feel more informed regarding their roles and responsibilities as trustees and on how to better help […]

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Visionary Trustee Briefing

Visionary Trustee Briefing July 2017
16 Jul 2017

Visionary Trustee Briefing – July 2017 Visionary News and Activity Visionary Annual Conference, 1 and 2 November 2017, Birmingham This year’s conference theme is Unlocking Potential, Creating Value– recognising that local sight loss charities make a significant difference to the lives of the people they support. As a trustee please do consider attending, along with key members of your organisation’s staff team. Details of how to book and the conference programme will be circulated in August. A provisional conference programme can be found here. Conference workshops – There will be a trustee specific workshop run by a member of the Visionary team and we would also welcome your input into it. Please contact our Head of Income Development atandy.haynes@visionary.org.uk or 07812 060878 to discuss what you would like the workshop to cover. Visionary Annual Awards – The awards aim to recognise and celebrate excellence in the leadership, management and quality of the work done by local sight loss charities. Please do consider nominating yourselves or a fellow member organisation so that we can recognise and celebrate the achievements of the sector. For details of the categories and to submit an awards nomination, please complete theAwards Nomination Form. Winners will receive £500. Visionary Briefing The main […]

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Visionary Trustee Briefing

Visionary Briefing Special Edition FREE Legal Helpline for Visionary members
9 Aug 2017

FREE Legal Helpline for Visionary members Working closely with the charities and social business team at Russell-Cooke LLP, Visionary is now able to offer full members (local sight loss charities) access to a free and confidential Legal Helpline which we will be piloting for the next six months. The Helpline, staffed by the experienced team at Russell-Cooke, can provide assistance on helping members identify areas where further work or professional advice may be required e.g. employment law, property issues, and governance/constitutional issues. For example, a member dealing with a redundancy issue recently was supported to identify that they needed formal HR advice to deal with the situation appropriately. Another member was able to identify issues requiring formal legal advice when looking to change their legal structure (charity/limited company status). Where formal legal advice is suggested you may be referred to a lawyer at Russell-Cooke. However, you are under no obligation to use Russell-Cooke for further formal legal advice and can, of course, source your own legal advice at anytime.   How to access the Helpline – 020 3826 7538 Helpline calls can last a maximum of 15 minutes, per single issue. If you have more than one issue then you would need to […]

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Visionary Briefing – Special Edition

Visionary Briefing Special Edition- Vision Rehabilitation
23 Aug 2017

Vision Rehabilitation There have been quite a few developments within Vision Rehabilitation over the last few months, and we thought it would be useful to provide one briefing focusing specifically on Vision Rehabilitation.   RNIB Cost avoidance study As part of the RNIB’s Department of Health funded project into Vision Rehabilitation; they have carried out a study on the impact of rehabilitation. This study has been eagerly anticipated by the sector and Visionary members, and we are pleased to say that Sight for Surrey has been the case study for this project: the RNIB Cost  RNIB Cost Avoidance Study   Making Rehab Work – Pilot Project Project Summary Making Rehab Work was a multi-agency pilot project, which explored how statutory rehabilitation services can be supported by non-statutory provision. The project was funded by Thomas Pocklington Trust, delivered by Wiltshire Sight and project managed by Visionary. The project aimed to identify areas of rehabilitation and support that could be delivered by volunteers and employees who are not qualified Rehabilitation Officers.  The project also aimed to support existing rehabilitation services to reduce waiting times, provide a consistent approach, and develop a sustainable low level rehabilitation service within the community. A training toolkit was […]

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Visionary Briefing – Special Edition

Visionary Briefing 13 September 2017
13 Sep 2017

News from across the sector for our members We want the Visionary Briefing to be informed by our members, as well as a useful source of information. Therefore, if you have any news stories, job vacancies or events to advertise, please send them to us by email. If this format does not suit you, please let us know via email and we will be happy to provide it in another format.   This week Spotlight – good news stories from our members and partners Visionary Matters – keyupdates from Visionary central Key news – this issue’s top news story Also this week – other news items of interest Dates for your diary – summary of events and training relevant to members   Spotlight Vision Support (in Chester) recently successfully challenged a local authority sensory contract tendering process. This resulted in a 6 month extension to their current agreement and secured jobs. The commissioners have since cancelled the contract award process and will be conducting a new tendering process in the future.   Visionary Matters Important changes to Visionary’s regional model We have made changes to how we reach and support members across the UK. Previously each organisation had a Relationship […]

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Visionary Briefing

Visionary Briefing Special Edition – Visionary Knowledge Hub
15 Sep 2017

Visionary Knowledge Hub The Knowledge Hub is a place where both members and Visionary can share knowledge which it is felt those engaged in the network could benefit from. The Knowledge Hub will sit on the new Visionary website, which will be launched shortly. However, we are aware that many members have requested information and example documents to support you and your teams in the great work your organisations are doing and did not want to unnecessarily delay your access to the Knowledge Hub. In the intervening period, therefore, we are keen to make the Knowledge Hub available to all full members now. The below headings are a good representation of what knowledge is currently available and we are continually expanding resources in all areas of support. Governance – Policies and procedures on virtually any aspect of running an effective charitable organisation, for example, H&S, Safeguarding, HR management, etc. Quality Frameworks – Current RNIB frameworks such as the Practice Guidance and Quality Framework for ECLO and nonECLO services, Quality Framework for Information, Advice and Guidance Income Development: Individual and Community Fundraising – PowerPoint presentations from fundraising experts Legacy Fundraising – How to talk about legacies to supporters; Legacy terminology and […]

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Visionary Briefing – Special Edition
25 Sep 2017
Charity Statement of Recommended Practice “SORP” (FRS 102) and the issue of senior personnel salary information.

Charity Statement of Recommended Practice “SORP” (FRS 102) and the issue of senior personnel salary information.

“Key management personnel” of the charity, are defined as “those persons having authority and responsibility for planning, directing and controlling the activities of the charity, directly or indirectly, including any Directors of the charity.” This definition includes the Trustees. As you and your accountant should be aware, Trustees should not receive any “remuneration” for their roles, but are allowed expenses and the total of these plus any other trustee related costs should be stated in the accounts as per usual reporting processes. The definition also includes those senior management personnel to whom the Trustees have delegated “significant authority or responsibility in the day-to-day running of the charity.” i.e. the CEO/Leader/Manager, deputy CEO, Finance Director etc… – essentially the SMT of the organisation. In the charities accounts you have to disclose the numbers of staff paid more than £60,000 in £10,000 bands from £60,000 upwards. No details of the actual salaries need to be displayed – just simply a count of how many roles sit within a particular salary band. If there’s only one role shown within a particular band then it doesn’t take much to work out that it’s likely to be the CEO/leaders salary band. If no one is […]

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Latest News

Visionary Briefing 27 September 2017
27 Sep 2017

News from across the sector for our members We want the Visionary Briefing to be informed by our members, as well as a useful source of information. Therefore, if you have any news stories, job vacancies or events to advertise, please send them to us by email. If this format does not suit you, please let us know via email and we will be happy to provide it in another format.   This week Spotlight – good news stories from our members and partners Visionary Matters – keyupdates from Visionary central Key news – this issue’s top news story Also this week – other news items of interest Dates for your diary – summary of events and training relevant to members   Spotlight Bradbury Fields, in Liverpool, have recently secured a multi-year sensory contract from Knowsley Council. Previously, Knowsley Council managed a range of providers to deliver their sensory services, alongside Bradbury Fields, which is a key sight loss service provider. However, Knowsley Council preferred a single sensory contract and Bradbury Fields, who work closely with other local sensory providers, successfully developed a partnership bid and are now the lead on the sensory contract. Read more   Visionary Matters Visionary staffing […]

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Visionary Briefing
27 Sep 2017
Bradbury Fields

Bradbury Fields

Bradbury Fields, in Liverpool, have recently secured a multi-year sensory contract from Knowsley Council. Previously, Knowsley Council managed a range of providers to deliver their sensory services, alongside Bradbury Fields, which is a key sight loss service provider. However, Knowsley Council preferred a single sensory contract and Bradbury Fields, who work closely with other local sensory providers, successfully developed a partnership bid and are now the lead on the sensory contract – delivering services themselves and sub-contracting children’s habilitation services with Guide Dogs, centre based rehabilitation with Christopher Grange Visual Rehabilitation Centre and specialist deaf support from Merseyside Society for Deaf People (MSDP). This represents a major change for Bradbury Fields. They have had to consult with their membership, amend their memorandum and articles of association to enable them to incorporate sensory provision and they are now also managing sub-contractors. Visionary supported Bradbury Fields throughout the process by reviewing the tender specification, contributing to and proof-reading the bid. We are now providing support on developing and implementing effective sub-contracts. If you would like to discuss how Visionary could support your local sight loss organisation please contact the Income Development team at visionary@visionary.org.uk

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Latest News
3 Oct 2017
Visionary Membership

Visionary Membership

If you are a local sight loss charity and interested in joining Visionary, please contact visionary@visionary.org.uk in order to discuss membership options.

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Latest News
6 Oct 2017
Aston University Study

Aston University Study

Researchers at Aston University are inviting those that are sight impaired and severely impaired in the UK, to take part in a study investigating the impact of visual loss on diet and appetite. In order to do this we need to recruit visually impaired participants to take part in a questionnaire that investigates the relationship between visual loss and diet and appetite. We will use the findings to help develop a dietary intervention. The importance of nutritional status in overall improvement of quality of life has been shown to be very significant. The questionnaire will be delivered over the telephone. The call will last approximately an hour Nabila Jones from the research team will arrange an appropriate date and time to call and deliver the questionnaire. The participants will also be called over two days in the same week also (one weekend day) to re-call what they ate on that day. This will take about five minutes. Read the full participant information sheet here. For further information or to register you interest in participation please contct Nabila Jones n.jones5@aston.ac.uk.

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Latest News
9 Oct 2017
Visionary Annual Conference 2017: Awards Applications

Visionary Annual Conference 2017: Awards Applications

Inspirational Service Delivery This award is open to Visionary members that can demonstrate innovation and achievement in service provision within the sight loss sector. The service could be newly developed or established, benefitting a few or a large number of blind and partially sighted people, but we want to hear examples that will inspire others. Organisation 1 – Bradbury Fields This year, we launched our very first app in collaboration with Web Developer, Thom Shannon. Guide dogs are an important lifeline for visually impaired people. When visiting an unfamiliar city, keeping your dog to a regular routine can be a serious worry. This app will help guide dog owners and other service dog owners find a suitable area of grass nearby for their dog to spend. It will show the distance, size of the grassed area, and link to Google or Apple Maps to give walking directions. This app is free and can be downloaded from the App Store. To date we have had 373 downloads. Organisation 2 – Devon in Sight We were a charity on the brink of closure, struggling to respond to the challenges of securing funding, delivering outcomes, and meeting increasing demand. A bold new Management […]

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Annual Conference Events
11 Oct 2017
GDPR Update and Support

GDPR Update and Support

GDPR is the most significant change in data protection law in the last 20 years. Implementation is less than eight months away, however the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) is still working on some of the details. We know that many members are concerned about how to prepare for GDPR, the implications of not being compliant and that a whole industry has sprung up offering GDPR solutions. We are supporting Visionary members in several ways regarding GDPR: Visionary GDPR briefing will be published within the next couple of weeks. GDPR workshop at the Visionary Conference – led by sector experts Russell-Cooke. We have submitted a £60,000 funding application to the ICO to develop GDPR support specifically for the VI sector (commences late Nov 2017) If the funding bid is unsuccessful we will commission external GDPR expertise to develop guidance specifically for local sight loss organisations. In the meantime – please do share with us any GDPR work you’ve undertaken or advice you have received as we are collating such information and we will share this across the Visionary network as appropriate. Also consider joining the NCVO webinar on GDPR to explore the ICO tools 12 steps to take now and the […]

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Latest News

Visionary Briefing 11 October 2017
11 Oct 2017

News from across the sector for our members We want the Visionary Briefing to be informed by our members, as well as a useful source of information. Therefore, if you have any news stories, job vacancies or events to advertise, please send them to us by email. If this format does not suit you, please let us know via email and we will be happy to provide it in another format.   This week Spotlight – good news stories from our members and partners Visionary Matters – keyupdates from Visionary central Key news – this issue’s top news story Also this week – other news items of interest Dates for your diary – summary of events and training relevant to members   Spotlight We are delighted to announce that Sight Service have been awarded the Change 4 Life Quality Standard by South Tyneside Council. It is awarded to organisations that: Empower people to take responsibility and become an expert in their own health and wellbeing Support people to make small sustainable lifestyle changes resulting in big improvements Target prevention and early intervention to address health inequalities in South Tyneside The council were impressed to see how Sight Service embrace and […]

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Visionary Briefing
20 Oct 2017
Visionary Annual General Meeting

Visionary Annual General Meeting

[Please note that voting is restricted to Full Visionary Members only] Please see below the document for the AGM: Visionary AGM Agenda 2017 Visionary AGM Notice 2017 Visionary AGM Proxy Form 2017 Final Statement for the Year Ended 31 March 2017 [due to the size of the file the signed version could not be uploaded. Should you require the signed copy please do not hesitate to request it] If you have had issues accessing any of these documents or would like a singed copy of the Final Statement for the Year Ended 31 March 2017 please do not hesitate to contact us

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Latest News
20 Oct 2017
Visionary Annual Conference 2017: Workshop Programme

Visionary Annual Conference 2017: Workshop Programme

Workshop Programme Wednesday 1 November 2017 Workshop session one – 11:20 – 12:40 1. Technology – The 4th Industrial Revolution This workshop will explore how technology can be pivotal in the three following areas: Independent Living; Skills and Employment; Mobility and Travel. It will look at how technology is being used locally, regionally and nationally to support people with a visual impairment. It is focused upon sharing knowledge and learning from Beacon to support members when considering their services, developing them, and how they interact with technology and beneficiaries. Lead facilitator/s: Arwyn Jones (Beacon) 2. Dealing with change while maintaining traditions. Is it for your charity? We want to share the experiences we have had over the last 3 years, building on our foundations and embracing new ideas that benefit visually impaired people now and in the future. We will also mention our new Vision Support Centre which we have developed to provide more services from, and the ups and downs of a capital project. Lead facilitator/s: Carl Hodge (Barrow & Districts Society for the Blind); Claire Smith (Barrow & Districts Society for the Blind) 3. Data protection – Understanding good practice and implications of the GDPR With changes to […]

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Annual Conference Events

Visionary Briefing Special Edition – Visionary Website Re-launch
20 Oct 2017

Visionary Website Re-launch We are thrilled to be able to share with you our new and improved Visionary website, which will be launching on Monday 23 October 2017. The new website is still accessed through www.visionary.org.uk and has familiar features, such as Key News, Events, Vacancies and the Charity Locator. However, it has been revamped so that its more accessible and user-friendly, and also contains additional information that is relevant to our members. The current website will be unavailable from Sunday evening onwards, in order for the changeover to take place, and the new website should be live from Monday morning. Please bear with us during this time. If you have any links to the current website that you still wish to use, you will need to type www.visionary.org.uk/oldsite/ and then the rest of the link, for example www.visionary.org.uk/membership becomes www.visionary.org.uk/oldsite/membership.   Charity Locator We know that many of you valued the Charity Locator and this will now be available on the new website. We have updated the information for all of our members following the data cleanse that we carried out around membership renewal earlier this year. However, if you notice any incorrect or outdated information, please let us […]

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Visionary Briefing – Special Edition
24 Oct 2017
Kent Association for the Blind Foundation Degree in VI Rehabilitation

Kent Association for the Blind Foundation Degree in VI Rehabilitation

Kent Association for the Blind are currently exploring their options to resume delivery of the Foundation Degree in VI Rehabilitation. This is an exciting time for the organisation to redevelop their training programme to meet the sector needs. A needs analysis will shortly be undertaken to establish what employers would want in order to invest their time and money to support their staff to undertake a Foundation Degree. With the new Government initiative of Higher Apprenticeships, money could be available to employers to help fund some of the course fees. The Foundation Degree is a combination of work based learning and university modules. If you would like to take part in the needs analysis survey or require any further information please contact Avril Chapman, Training Manager, Kent Association for the Blind at avril.chapman@kab.org.uk or 01622 691357.

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Latest News
24 Oct 2017
RNIB Update for Visionary Members

RNIB Update for Visionary Members

We’ve had a lot of feedback in the past few months from blind and partially sighted people and Visionary members, and we’re taking this on board. We’re re-structuring our services, making things simpler and more consistent, modernising approaches now for an increasing number of blind and partially sighted people. Through our national role, we plan to step up our efforts in providing expert eye health and sight loss information and advice and act as a gateway to services and support provided by ourselves and others – such as the valuable work Visionary members are doing to support people with sight loss. We’ll keep on campaigning, helping people advocate for their own rights, and enable people with sight loss, their friends and families, to support each other and change lives for the better. Recognising the combined strengths of our sector, we’re not the organisation that can provide a direct face to face outreach service to all, but we absolutely can be that place where anyone can get advice, guidance and be put in touch with the right people, including Visionary members. We see a large part of the answer in peer support and blind and partially sighted people have told us […]

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Latest News
24 Oct 2017
Data Protection

Data Protection

We have been pleased to see the innovation and support that is going on amongst the Visionary membership in response to changes in the law on data protection. However, we realise that there is still a lot of uncertainty around proposed changes and how best to respond in order to remain compliant and promote best practice when it comes to managing people’s data. We want to tell you how Visionary plans to support local organisations to address these changes and provide you with some direction and resources to get you started. What we are doing at Visionary The Income Development team at Visionary is taking the lead on the area of data protection and it sits within our ‘Outcome and Impact Measurement’ stream of work. Our work on Outcome and Impact Measurement is divided into five areas of support: Data Collection (Monitoring) Data Analysis (Evaluation) Strategic Frameworks (Theory of Change, Inspiring Impact, Monitoring and Evaluation Frameworks, Logic Models) Databases and CRM systems Data Protection ICO Grant As a result of a number of inquiries from members regarding changes to data protection rules (General Data Protection Regulation – GDPR), fundraising regulations and e-privacy, Visionary has applied for a grant from the […]

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Latest News

Visionary Briefing 25 October 2017
25 Oct 2017

News from across the sector for our members We want the Visionary Briefing to be informed by our members, as well as a useful source of information. Therefore, if you have any news stories, job vacancies or events to advertise, please send them to us by email. If this format does not suit you, please let us know via email and we will be happy to provide it in another format.   This week Spotlight – good news stories from our members and partners Visionary Matters – keyupdates from Visionary central Key news – this issue’s top news story Also this week – other news items of interest Dates for your diary – summary of events and training relevant to members   Spotlight RNIB Update for Visionary members As many of you know, we have been working with RNIB (and others) to share feedback from our members and to see how we can develop our joint working models to build better, more connected services, for blind and partially sighted people across the UK. We’ve seen some real movement on this front over the last 6 months but, as always, change doesn’t happen overnight and those of us involved in the […]

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Visionary Briefing

Visionary Briefing 08 November 2017
8 Nov 2017

News from across the sector for our members We want the Visionary Briefing to be informed by our members, as well as a useful source of information. Therefore, if you have any news stories, job vacancies or events to advertise, please send them to us by email. If this format does not suit you, please let us know via email and we will be happy to provide it in another format.   This week Spotlight – good news stories from our members and partners Visionary Matters – keyupdates from Visionary central Key news – this issue’s top news story Also this week – other news items of interest Dates for your diary – summary of events and training relevant to members   Spotlight Visionary Awards 2017 Winners We would like to extend our congratulations to the 4 winners of the Visionary Awards 2017, and thank you to everyone that voted. The winners, who were announced at this year’s Annual Conference, were; Inspirational Service Delivery Devon in Sight Successful Volunteer Programme Cam Sight Together We Are Stronger Henshaws Changing Lives Southampton Sight For full details on all the award categories; nominated organisations and their projects please visit our website.    Visionary Matters Visionary […]

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Visionary Briefing

Visionary Briefing Special Edition – Visionary Staffing Update
14 Nov 2017

Visionary Staffing Update It has been a busy time recently at Visionary central and I wanted to share some updates with you on the staffing front as we will be managing a bit of change in the team over the next few months, all for good reasons. Firstly, I am delighted to announce that Gareth Brydon, whom many of you will know from his time at Action for Blind People and RNIB, will be joining us as our new Head of Member Services in January. Gareth will be leading the Member Engagement Team and the Development and Innovation Team. The board and I are excited that Gareth will be joining us and I’m sure he is going to be a great addition to the Senior Management Team with all the relevant sector experience that he brings with him. Michelle Baxter Wickham will sadly be leaving us at the end of December to join the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes, a cause very close to her heart. She has been a great asset to the team and will be missed but we know that she will have a great time in her new role visiting all of the animals that […]

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Latest News Visionary Briefing – Special Edition

Visionary Annual Conference 2017: Materials
16 Nov 2017

Please find below links to the documents and presentations that were shared at this year’s conference. If you cannot find what you are looking for, or require a different format, please email visionary@visionary.org.uk. Visionary Highlights 2017 Visionary Theory of Change 2017 Sight Loss Charity Partnership 2017 presentation   Workshop Materials Laughter and Wellness Workshop materials Workshop handout Video Link

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Annual Conference Events

Visionary Briefing 22 November 2017
22 Nov 2017

News from across the sector for our members We want the Visionary Briefing to be informed by our members, as well as a useful source of information. Therefore, if you have any news stories, job vacancies or events to advertise, please send them to us by email. If this format does not suit you, please let us know via email and we will be happy to provide it in another format.   This week Spotlight – good news stories from our members and partners Visionary Matters – keyupdates from Visionary central Key news – this issue’s top news story Also this week – other news items of interest Dates for your diary – summary of events and training relevant to members   Spotlight Big Blind Walk 2018 The Big Blind Walk is a great opportunity to raise awareness of the impact of living with sight loss with the public and to raise the profile of sight loss research, treatment and support within the public health agenda. As a membership organisation for local sight loss charities across the UK that provide vital support and services to those living with sight loss we know how important this is. Visionary is delighted to […]

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Visionary Briefing

Visionary Briefing 06 December 2017
6 Dec 2017

News from across the sector for our members We want the Visionary Briefing to be informed by our members, as well as a useful source of information. Therefore, if you have any news stories, job vacancies or events to advertise, please send them to us by email. If this format does not suit you, please let us know via email and we will be happy to provide it in another format.    This week Spotlight – good news stories from our members and partners Visionary Matters – keyupdates from Visionary central Key news – this issue’s top news story Also this week – other news items of interest Dates for your diary – summary of events and training relevant to members   Spotlight Henshaws’ Children and Young People’s (CYP) project in Oldham won the ‘Together We Are Stronger’ award at this year’s Visionary Annual Conference. The ‘Together We Are Stronger’ category was set up to recognise projects that demonstrate the positive impact of linking with others to develop and deliver services. It was awarded to Henshaws’ Children and Young People’s (CYP) project, which was recognised as an innovative example of how working in partnership achieves positive outcomes for CYP and […]

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Visionary Briefing

Visionary Trustee Briefing – December 2017
20 Dec 2017

Visionary Trustee Briefing – December 2017 Contents Visionary News and Activity – updates from across the Visionary network Charity Governance – information relevant to trustees Sector News – key items relevant to the sight loss sector Events – summary of events relevant to trustees Visionary News and Activity Visionary Annual Conference, 1 and 2 November 2017, Birmingham This year’s conference theme was Unlocking Potential, Creating Value – recognising that local sight loss charities make a significant difference to the lives of the people they support. Two trustee workshops were held: 1 – How to be an effective trustee – this workshop covered topics such as What is a trustee? What are the basic duties? What does the Charity Commission expect? What issues on the horizon should trustees be looking out for? The session was led by Leon Ward – an experienced trustee himself, and the slides associated with his session are available in the Trustee Section of the Knowledge Hub (see below for details). 2 – Trustee advice forum and panel Q & A – this workshop was quite interactive, with attendees sharing questions and queries regarding their own experiences – both as trustees and as employed staff working with trustees. […]

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Visionary Trustee Briefing

Visionary Briefing Christmas Edition and Interim CEO Announcement
20 Dec 2017

Visionary Briefing Christmas Edition Visionary Interim CEO We are delighted to announce that Fiona Sandford, currently CEO of Visibility in Scotland, will be taking on the role of interim CEO of Visionary when Alison Oliver goes on maternity leave in March 2018. Read more   Visionary Highlights As another year draws to a close we want to wish you a Happy Christmas and say thank you to all of you for your support this year. As we share our festive good wishes, we would also like to reflect on some of the great things that we have done together over the last 12 months. This builds on from the Visionary Highlights document that we have previously shared to highlight some of the more hands on ways we can work together, which you might not already be aware of. Although we have examples and anecdotal feedback of our work with members, we also want to formally evaluate our impact. To help us with this, we encourage all full members to complete our Members’ Survey, if you have not already done so, before it closes on Friday 22 December 2017. It should only take about 15 minutes. CEO’s, leaders, managers and trustees of […]

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Visionary Briefing – Special Edition

Visionary Briefing Special Edition – GDPR Programme – 21 December 2017
21 Dec 2017

Visionary Briefing Special Edition –  21 December 2017 Provisional Programme of GDPR Support Designed Exclusively For Full Visionary Members Getting ready for the new data protection legislation – GDPR 25 May 2018 Visionary is pleased to announce our provisional programme of support available to local sight loss organisations starting in January 2018 in response to concerns raised about how to become compliant within the new GDPR legislation and for the general practice of good data protection. We will be working with Carla Whalen from Russell Cooke, who is a legal expert in data protection. Many of you may remember Carla from the Data Protection Workshop at our annual conference this year. Our programme of support will run from January to May 2018; in the run up to the legislation coming into action and we will explore follow up support post May 2018, so that we can review how organisations have adapted since legislation has come into force. The support will be tailored to meet the specific needs of our members in order to complement much of the generic training and toolkits already available. The programme of support will provisionally include: A podcast for Visionary members consisting of; an interview with Carla Whalen answering […]

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Visionary Briefing – Special Edition

Visionary Briefing – 03 January 2018
3 Jan 2018

Visionary Briefing – 03 January 2018 News from across the sector for our members We want the Visionary Briefing to be informed by our members, as well as a useful source of information. Therefore, if you have any news stories, job vacancies or events to advertise, please send them to us by email. If this format does not suit you, please let us know via email and we will be happy to provide it in another format.   This week Spotlight – good news stories from our members and partners Visionary Matters – key updates from Visionary central Key news – this issue’s top news story Also this week – other news items of interest Dates for your diary – summary of events and training relevant to members   Spotlight Sally Harvey: Help shape the future direction of RNIB You might already have seen the request that went out shortly before Christmas but, new RNIB chief executive Sally Harvey, is now directly asking local sight loss charities to help shape the future priorities of RNIB by completing a short survey. Read more   Visionary Matters Five Ideas to Spark Your Organisation’s New Year’s Resolutions As 2018 kicks in, offering a wealth of new possibilities, many of us have been setting our […]

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Visionary Briefing
3 Jan 2018
Sally Harvey: Help shape the future direction of RNIB

Sally Harvey: Help shape the future direction of RNIB

Sally Harvey: Help shape the future direction of RNIB You might already have seen the request that went out shortly before Christmas but, new RNIB chief executive Sally Harvey, is now directly asking local sight loss charities to help shape the future priorities of RNIB by completing a short survey. On the professional network site LinkedIn, Sally shared: “To make sustainable changes to everyday lives we believe we must change the way we work. We need to focus on what will make the biggest impact. This means our approach will need to be different from anything we’ve done before. We recognise we can’t do it all by ourselves. A wider approach is needed, which is why partnerships are so important.” As a key partner, RNIB wants you to share your views via Survey Monkey or download the Word Document survey and return to thefuture@rnib.org.uk. You can find out more information on this consultation, including a summary, from “The future of sight loss in the UK (Word doc, 25KB) or at www.rnib.org.uk/thefuture“. The results of this survey together with the evidence already gathered will confirm RNIB’s priorities and approach, with the aim of delivering the best outcomes for blind and partially sighted people.

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Latest News
15 Jan 2018
Halifax Society for the Blind: Seeking support to help develop a future strategy

Halifax Society for the Blind: Seeking support to help develop a future strategy

Halifax Society for the Blind have been reviewing their operations and strategic direction and now wish to appoint external support to help them develop a strategy for the next 5 years. They have a board committed to developing the charity and enhancing its reputation and services and are keen to explore all avenues to taking Halifax Blind Society forward to better support visually impaired people.   Visionary have supported the board to develop this programme of work and we will continue to support them as they take this work forward.   Halifax Society for the Blind have a budget of £6,000 and would be interested in hearing from any Visionary members who could either support them with this or know of any specialists who could assist them. Further details and a full brief are available below.   If you require any further details then please contact Halifax Blind Society direct via the details contained in the brief.   If you are a Visionary member, or are considering becoming one, and would like to discuss how Visionary could help you review your organisations direction, objectives and overall business plan then please contact our Income Development Team at visionary@visionary.org.uk and an experienced […]

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Latest News
16 Jan 2018
The Esme Room Support Group.

The Esme Room Support Group.

The Esme Room Support Group. Esme’s Umbrella (www.charlesbonnetsyndrome.uk)  is the UK’s campaign to raise awareness of Charles Bonnet Syndrome.  This condition has been a well-kept secret for too long and people with sight loss have been living in silence, afraid to confide in anyone in case the vivid, silent, visual hallucinations are caused by a mental health condition. Too few ophthalmologists were warning their patients that CBS might develop – it might not, but forewarned would be forearmed. Launched by Judith Potts in 2015 – named in memory of her Mother, for whom CBS plagued her final years – it became clear very quickly from the numerous calls to the Helpline (0345 051 3925 – answered by The Help and Information Service 24 hours a day, every day) that, not only was it imperative to raise awareness within the medical profession and out into the community plus funds for research, but proper support was needed for people living with CBS, their families and friends. Following on from the announcement of a researcher (thanks to the financial support of The Pocklington Trust and Fight for Sight) – Dr Greg Elder of Newcastle University – who will work with Dr Dominic ffytche […]

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Latest News

Five Evidence-based Ways to Boost Income from Legacies
16 Jan 2018

Five Evidence-based Ways to Boost Income from Legacies In the UK, around 70% of the population donates to charity in one form or another during their lifetime. Yet only 7.3% leave a gift to charity in their will. Despite this small percentage, charities still receive £2 billion in funding every year from legacies. Just imagine what more we could do in the charity sector if everyone who donated in their lifetime also left a legacy. So much of a charity’s fundraising efforts are focused on individual giving, community giving, fundraising from events and applying for grants. For every £1 spent, fundraising returns on average between £3 and £4. The lowest return on investment (ROI) is street fundraising at between £1 and £2, closely followed by events at £2 to £3. Grants are more lucrative returning £7 to £8 for every £1 invested. Legacy fundraising goes far beyond any of these and returns on average £30 for every £1. So it certainly pays to have legacy giving as a core part of any fundraising strategy. With all that in mind, here are five ways to help you boost your income from legacy giving right from day one. 1. Sell the Vision […]

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Latest News
12 Feb 2018
Online Today is continuing to offer free training and support to community partners

Online Today is continuing to offer free training and support to community partners

Online Today   Online Today is continuing to offer free training and support to community partners who wish to explore developing their own knowledge, skills and confidence in access technology and mobile devices. While the programme, Online Today, is expected to finish at the end of July 2018, the on-going work and commitment to partnership working, will remain a key theme for the core Specialist Service for Technology beyond July 2018. Expect further communication on the RNIB plans about this transitional period during February and March.   Finally, digital skills support and training is something which RNIB is committed to; Independence through technology is one of the key areas which RNIB will be championing over the coming years. This means supporting Blind and Partially Sighted people to harness technology, digital or online platforms to make a positive difference in their lives.   If you want to find out more about the training available and the opportunities for longer term working, please contact tracy.riddell@rnib.org.uk or download the Legacy Offer   Online Today Managers   Sheila Sneddon – Scotland Sheila.sneddon@rnib.org.uk   Christopher Hoyle – Wales Christopher.hoyle@rnib.org.uk   Clare Aldworth – NI Clare.aldworth@rnib.org.uk   Farhat Bashir – England Farhat.bashir@rnib.org.uk   Tracy Riddell – National […]

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Latest News
14 Feb 2018
 Making More Happen Project

 Making More Happen Project

 Making More Happen Project   The Making More Happen project was started by Walthew House; was funded by the Visionary D&I Fund and a Catalyst grant from Action Together. Based on the belief, the key to reducing isolation, with its attendant physical and mental detrimental effects, is to provide, promote and support accessible opportunities for inclusion and involvement for people with sight loss in Stockport.   The main aims of the project were to; Work with existing volunteers and recruit new volunteers to establish and maintain new partnerships for the benefit of people with sight loss with other groups in the wider community, and to Facilitate greater involvement for visually impaired people in consultations regarding local health and social care so that the needs of people with sight loss will not be overlooked   The grant has supported the costs of a part-time development officer, who worked with people with sight loss, and the wider community.   The project has: Consulted both with existing visually impaired service users and people who do not access services at Walthew House, to identify how the charity can best facilitate wider participation Consulted with local people and organisations to explore opportunities for inclusion for […]

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Latest News
23 Mar 2018
England Athletics in partnership with British Blind Sport, will be re-launching Find a Guide

England Athletics in partnership with British Blind Sport, will be re-launching Find a Guide

England Athletics in partnership with British Blind Sport, will be re-launching Find a Guide Find a Guide has been helping visually impaired people find guide runners across England to support them to run for nearly 2 years now. In this time we’ve trained over 1110 people on our Sight Loss Awareness and Guide Running workshop and licenced over 720 guide runners. Since its launch in 2016 we’ve been listening to feedback about the database and have made some improvements to make it even easier for visually impaired people to find a guide runner and run, wherever and whenever suits them! On Tuesday 3rd April, England Athletics in partnership with British Blind Sport, will be re-launching Find a Guide and promoting it with visually impaired people and visually impaired organisations to continue to help people to find a guide runner. So what’s new: We’ve made some changes to Find a Guide to hopefully make things even easier and more accessible for both visually impaired runner and guide runner. Here are just some of the changes: Find a Guide supports people to run with others so the database will join our RunTogether website but can still be found on the England Athletics […]

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Latest News

Infosound
23 Mar 2018

  Infosound Infosound is a registered charity and professional producer of free and impartial news and information, in audio, for blind and partially-sighted people in Great Britain. There are now over two thousand listening activities every day to the audio features Infosound broadcasts and distributes in several different ways, including over the phone, online and on specialist audio players for vision-impaired people. Infosound also freely shares much of the material it produces with local talking newspapers and magazines, radio services and other information-providers. Infosound always produces its own original audio features and these can be on any subject that might be of interest to someone, of whatever age or circumstances, who lives with sight loss; so, for example, daily-living aids and products, benefits, holidays, mobility, travel, housing, employment, training, leisure, sport, money, consumer matters, hobbies, the important issues of the moment as well as events and one-off services run for the benefit of blind and partially-sighted people.   Importantly, Infosound produces audio briefings on what local sight loss charities are doing – or, rather, they try to; but unless they are told about an event or a service that is being run in a local area, they can only use […]

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Latest News

Exploring the impact of welfare reform on the lives of disabled people
23 Mar 2018

Exploring the impact of welfare reform on the lives of disabled people, a qualitative study What is the study about? Disability benefits have changed in recent years. This includes changes to Personal Independence Payments (PIP), Employment Support Allowance (ESA), and the introduction of Universal Credit (UC). Changes include new assessments, eligibility criteria, and the amount of support available. This research is about listening to and learning from the experiences of disabled people and people living mental health and fluctuating conditions. We would like to hear your experience of benefits assessments, eligibility and rates of awards. We would also like to understand how changes to disability benefits have affected your everyday life, your ability to access work, and your participation in family and community life. Who is conducting the research? The research is conducted by researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the University of Glasgow. The research team includes disabled and non-disabled researchers, all of whom have experience of inclusive disability research. Can you take part? Yes, if you are a disabled person or someone living with a long term physical or mental health condition, and have experience of either PIP, ESA, or Universal Credit. You need to […]

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Latest News

Partnership principles
27 Mar 2018

Partnership principles RNIB and Visionary commit to being: Inclusive – seeking to include blind and partially sighted people in all that we do together and providing opportunities for partners/Visionary members to work with us too Communicative – establishing clear and consistent mechanisms and points of contact to enable us to get things done and keeping Visionary members and other stakeholders informed about our work Accountable – taking feedback from stakeholders that arises from and in relation to our work and sharing it honestly as a means of keeping us on track, celebrating success, and putting things right if they go wrong Efficient – working to ensure no unnecessary duplication of effort at national, regional, and local level deploying resources in line with our respective roles within the sight loss sector Innovative – testing new ways of working together and with others to develop services and resources

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Latest News

The RP Fighting Blindness Working Age Group Project
9 Apr 2018

The RP Fighting Blindness Working Age Group Project A call for participants to join our online forum The RP Fighting Blindness Working Age Group Project is a partnership project led by RP Fighting Blindness, with involvement from Thomas Pocklington Trust and RNIB. The aim of this project is to inform the development of useful, relevant and sustainable support services, with a view to ‘future-proofing’ careers for when visually impairment becomes a reality. We want to ensure that working age people who are living with degenerative sight loss have choices about their future working lives, know in advance their options with regards to employment and have support to fulfil their ambitions. You may be aware of this project, and the work it has already undertaken; last year we conducted focus groups and telephone interviews with participants to understand the broader issues around employment for people with inherited progressive sight loss. We’re now excited to be moving on to the next stage; an online forum. The online forum will be an informal discussion held over a couple of days – all you need is access to a computer!  You would not be expected to be permanently logged in over that time, but […]

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Latest News

Visionary and Thomas Pocklington Trust – Partnership Update
11 Apr 2018

Visionary and Thomas Pocklington Trust – Partnership Update Visionary and TPT are committed to working together to create a better world for blind and partially sighted people. As members are aware, one of the ways we are doing this is by identifying areas where there are gaps in services and working with local Visionary members to work out the best way of filling those gaps in a way which is efficient, effective and for the benefit of blind and partially sighted people. Working with TPT, Visionary wants to increase the reach and impact of local member organisations and help you create evidence based, local services that are consistent and sustainable. To take this forward, we held the first meeting of the Partnership Development Group on Friday 6 April in Preston. TPT are making funds available to roll out a programme of activity, with Visionary member organisations being the delivery vehicles for collaboration and partnership based services. Phase 1 of the project will include the work already under way in London Vision, Vision West of England and Vision North East of England and this financial year the work will extend into five new areas: Scotland Vision West Midlands Vision Greater Manchester […]

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Latest News

HERIIB re-brands
8 May 2018

Hull based charity, HERIB is pleased to announce it’s name change and rebrand to become Sight Support (Hull and East Yorkshire). The new brand image was revealed at a VIP preview on 27 April at the charity’s Beverley Road centre in Hull, before being made public on 1 May. The move follows a public consultation to identify ways in which the charity can engage more people, whatever their degree of visual impairment, through its wide ranging support services. Originally formed in 1864 as Hull and East Riding Institute for the Blind, the name was abbreviated to HERIB some years ago, however a disconnect between the name and the service gave good reason to ask the community for their opinion. Sandra Ackroyd, Chief Executive of Sight Support Hull and East Yorkshire says: “I am so happy to finally announce our new name and feel confident it will broaden the appeal of our services so that more people benefit. We had been aware of the issues surrounding our identity for some time and felt no-one should have to face sight loss alone, nor miss out of the support we provide, so we have undertaken a market research programme.” “The research was carried […]

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Latest News

iSightCornwall wins ‘best third sector business
22 May 2018

“Truly transformational and truly inspiring” – iSightCornwall wins ‘best third sector business’ award at Cornwall’s annual business awards in April. (The photo above shows Gregg Wallace from Masterchef on the left who is standing beside Terri holding the award who is next to Carole, both are from iSightCornwall and on the far right is Peter Wroe who is the Board Director of Eden Project Ltd who sponsored the award) Huge congratulations go out to Visionary member iSightCornwall who in April picked up Cornwall’s prestigious ‘best third sector business’ award. The award brings with it an ever-rising reputation for the charity within the Cornwall’s business community as it seeks to extend its services to provide accessibility training and advice to local businesses. “There are a lot of businesses in Cornwall that work in the tourism industry”, explains Terri Rosnau-Ward, iSightCornwall’s Chief Executive, “and we’ve started offering them bespoke support to help make their attractions as accessible as possible for people with visual impairment”. Established 162 years ago as a charity supporting around 500 Cornish miners suffering sight loss from mining accidents, the charity has constantly reinvented itself to maintain relevance for the 21st century. As well as its new work with local businesses, the […]

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Success Stories

In Your Pocket
22 May 2018

I am a trustee of a small charity, Communication For Blind And Disabled People and our focus is new technologies for blind and partially sighted people. We are currently setting our store by In Your Pocket made by RealThing UK: www.inyourpocket.net. Pocket is based around a smartphone and you talk to it and listen to what you want to hear. ‘Where am I?’ when you are out in the street; ‘Play the archers’ any time of the day, anywhere; ‘Call home’ or any other contact you have set up using your voice and not poking about a complicated chattering screen. The device gets you to thousands of books, podcasts and magazines in the same way and, in the near future, it will contain your own local or national organisation talking news and information if you participate in its roll-out. Pocket is a huge breakthrough in technology and accessibility for blind and partially sighted people like me. Obviously, beware of sales talk with words like ‘simple’ and ‘life-changing’ but…mastering the screenreader on the PC or smartphone has tended to baffle all but the minority who are techy and nimble with their fingers and Pocket really does the business with the human […]

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Latest News

Inspiring Impact update (June 2018):
19 Jun 2018

Inspiring Impact update (June 2018): Since convening our pilot group back in 2017, Visionary has worked consistently with a core group of partners in order to develop this project to date. This core group consists of: Focus Birmingham, Sight Concern Bedfordshire, Devon in Sight, West London Vision, London Vision and we have been supported by expert colleagues at NCVO and New Philanthropy Capital in order to create the basis for this framework, share best practice and plan for the future adoption of this project across the sight-loss sector. The framework aims to develop a system for the sight loss sector to report on shared outcomes, shared service feedback and shared demographic information in order to understand the impact the sight loss sector is having across the UK on people’s lives. Throughout the process a number of new members have shown an interest in joining developments either now or through the testing and piloting or through adopting it on its completion. This is great as it means we will have an excellent cross section of members and service users to consult with, but it also means that throughout the membership, the number of partners who see the cross sector potential of […]

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Latest News

Wilberforce Trust Awarded Planning for State of the Art Housing
4 Jul 2018

York Charity, The Wilberforce Trust Awarded Planning for State of the Art Housing Visionary members, The Wilberforce Trust, have got a nod of approval to build new state of the art housing for their current and future tenants in York. City of York councillors approved the Wilberforce Trust’s plan to build 30 new flats on land it owns off Tadcaster Road, next to St Leonard’s Hospice. The image above shows an architect’s impression of the new build, and its surroundings. There is a driveway, with parked cars, hedgerows and trees plus the new state of the art flats and landscape beyond. The York-based charity currently has properties across the city which it runs as shared houses for people with sight loss, hearing loss and other disabilities. Those properties are not up to modern standards and trust Chief Executive Phillipa Crowther says they are increasingly hard to adapt: “Current housing is not purpose built and over the last 14 years, despite regular investment by ourselves and City of York Council in continued adaptations, they present numerous challenges.” Instead, the trust wants to build 30 state-of-the-art new flats which would help people live independently. The new housing is being built close to […]

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Success Stories

Oxfordshire Association for the Blind, has just won two national awards!
18 Jul 2018

Judith Wood, a visual impairment counsellor wins prestigious Radio 4 ‘All in the Mind’ mental health award and a coveted British Citizen Award Since 1877, OAB has provided free specialist support to people in the county affected by sight loss, supporting over 2,800 people every year. Visionary are excited to announce that Judith Wood, Counsellor at Oxfordshire Association for the Blind, has just won two national awards! Chosen from over 1,000 nominations Judith is one of three winners of the BBC Radio 4 All in the Mind Awards in the ‘professional’ category, which recognises excellence in mental health care. Judith also attended a ceremony at the Palace of Westminster where she received a British Citizen Award for Services to Healthcare. Nathan Tree, 29, nominated Judith for the All in the Mind Awards after she helped him come to terms with his own sight loss. Judith is visually impaired herself and she lost the last of her sight in 2016. Reflecting on the ceremony, Nathan said “This was one of the proudest moments of my life. Judith – I can never thank you enough for giving me my life back!” Hosted by Claudia Hammond on 25 June 2018 at the Welcome […]

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Success Stories

Media Trust launches free training programme to develop the digital skills of charities across the UK
27 Jul 2018

Media Trust launches free training programme to develop the digital skills of charities across the UK Media Trust has launched a new UK-wide digital skills training programme designed to help charities and community groups access the vital digital marketing training they need, in order to strengthen their communications capabilities and get their voices heard in a rapidly evolving digital world. The masterclasses will run from September 2018 until June 2019 and are free for charities and community organisations to attend. The half-day masterclasses will be delivered with support from Google Digital Garage and will cover a range of topics from Social Media Strategy to Building a Digital Marketing Plan. At each event, you will have an opportunity to discuss your specific digital communications challenges with, and receive advice from, media and communications experts, learn from other charities as well as receiving digital skills training from a team of Google mentors. If you want to develop your digital communications skills so you can more effectively raise the profile of your organisation, engage with your audiences and deliver successful online campaigns, then get involved. The following classes are now available: Birmingham 13 September Cardiff 20 September London 10 October Manchester 19 October […]

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Latest News

Science and nature projects inspire visually impaired children at Moorvision
27 Jul 2018

Science and nature projects inspire visually impaired children at Moorvision Visionary member, Moorvision supports blind and partially sighted children and young people in Devon and have decided to use the themes of science and nature in 2018 for many of their activities. The decision was inspired by Sarah Bell’s (Exeter University) workshop at the last Visionary conference, where she spoke about a project in which visually impaired people talked about their experience of accessing nature at various points throughout their lives. Moorvision manager, Laura Hughes, wanted to do more work around the subject, as she felt that opportunities to access science and nature were few and far between for children with sight loss. Following a successful grant funding application to The Nineveh Trust, Moorvision has rolled out a programme of science and nature themed events throughout the year, including “We The Curious” at Bristol. There has also been a Trip to Occombe Farm in conjunction with The Sensory Trust, where children enjoyed an accessible treasure hunt and were able to feel, smell and hold everything to do with nature.  A trip to “The BIG Sheep” also allowed children to learn about sheering, sheep in general and other farm animals. Moorvision […]

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Success Stories

Second Sight#s Argus II
27 Jul 2018

Second Sight’s Argus II The Argus II works by converting images captured by a miniature video camera mounted on the patient’s glasses into a series of small electrical pulses, which are transmitted wirelessly to an array of electrodes implanted on the surface of the retina. These pulses stimulate the retina’s remaining cells, intending to result in the perception of patterns of light in the brain. The patient must learn to interpret these visual patterns, having the potential to regain some visual function. “When I started to go blind I didn’t want to live anymore. Now I have hope.“ Jeroen Perk, 39, works for the Netherlands’ Customs & Excise. He is totally blind due to the genetic disease Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) diagnosed at the age of 11. Jeroen was the second person in the Netherlands to be implanted with the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System, also known as “the bionic eye”. The surgery, by Dr Marco Mura, took place in June 2013. Since then, Jeroen has been using Argus II to help him navigate outdoors, in social situations such a rock concerts and when eating out, and has even been able to repeatedly hit the bullseye on an archery target. Jeroen […]

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Latest News

Fife Society for the Blind sees in change of name to become SeeScape
10 Oct 2018

Fife Society for the Blind sees in change of name to become SeeScape Fife Society for the Blind has been dedicated to helping sight impaired people lead more independent lives for over 150 years, and as the charity continues to develop and expand its horizons, it has revealed its new name – seescape. Officially unveiled by the Provost of Fife, Jim Leishman MBE to staff, volunteers, patrons and its board, seescape connects with registered visually impaired people on more than 6,000 occasions each year, with an increasingly broad range of services. Provost of Fife Jim Leishman MBE said: “I’m delighted to be here today to mark this significant occasion for the charity and wish them every success for the future as ‘seescape’. It’s a great opportunity to highlight the valuable work they deliver across Fife.” seescape aims to help make sight impaired people’s lives more fulfilled by empowering them to live and interact with their families, their communities and surroundings in a positive way. It does so by giving them access to support services, new technology and a new community of friends, and relies on the support of volunteer befrienders. Sight loss is an invisible disability that affects young and […]

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Latest News

Sight loss leading to thousands of Scots facing loneliness
7 Nov 2018

Sight loss leading to thousands of Scots facing loneliness Today Scotland’s biggest charity supporting blind and partially sighted people has called for action to tackle loneliness among the nearly 200,000 Scots who live with sight loss*. Research from Royal Blind shows that almost two thirds of vision impaired people have experienced loneliness because of their sight loss. Nearly three hundred people of all ages supported by Royal Blind and sister charity Scottish War Blinded participated in the study ahead of the Scottish Government’s consultation on loneliness which closed on Friday (27th April). Almost two thirds (60%) of the vision impaired people who were consulted said that their sight loss had directly contributed to feelings of loneliness, while almost all respondents (90%) said they had accessed services to overcome feelings of loneliness. The top three causes of loneliness were challenges with mobility and accessing transport, problems such as other health issues, and vision impairment making it hard to make friends. The top three interventions to overcome feelings of loneliness were support from Royal Blind and Scottish War Blinded services, equipment to help with vision impairment, and contact with family and friends. With the number of people with sight loss projected to […]

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Latest News

The experiences of young people with vision impairment from secondary school into further education and employment
21 Nov 2018

The University of Birmingham has published the results of a Longitudinal Transition Study, funded by Thomas Pocklington Trust, following the experiences of young people with vision impairment from secondary school into further education and employment. Findings from the study show that whilst participants are inching closer to the labour market, common challenges were identified: Just over a fifth (21 per cent) are either ‘Not in Education, Employment, or Training’ (NEET) or in long term unpaid voluntary work •Some young people with vision impairment face challenges which delay their progression into the labour market •Some young people with vision impairment do not feel ready for work and are not actively seeking employment, instead choosing to take on voluntary work or not to work at all •Young people with vision impairment who are NEET are often not signposted to services which could enable them to access the labour market •Some young people with vision impairment are employed in short-term unsecure roles, making it difficult for them to get Access to Work and other accommodations •Young people with vision impairment often face a ‘cliff edge’ after completing their education. For example, a large proportion of participants became NEET when leaving Higher Education (HE), […]

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Latest News

What more can be done for Lucy?
11 Jan 2019

What more can be done for Lucy? Refract – React – Refer Lucy, an active woman in her late sixties living in England, became worried when her vision started to deteriorate. After cutting her finger whilst preparing vegetables, falling when outside, scalding herself whilst making coffee and struggling to read print or watch television, she concluded that she needed help. She made an appointment with her usual optometrist in the hope that her prescription needed changing. During the examination the optometrist noted macular changes (extensive dry AMD) and an OCT scan undertaken in practice identified an epi-retinal membrane that could be contributing to her distorted vision.  He referred her to an ophthalmologist. After waiting for three months, Lucy received her appointment. Her ophthalmologist diagnosed macular degeneration and she was asked to come back in three months’ time for further monitoring. Unfortunately, she didn’t meet an eye clinic liaison officer (ECLO) who could have provided emotional and practical support, information and referrals to services that can enable and empower people with sight loss. ECLOs are usually based within eye clinics, however not every area currently has coverage. Lucy’s retinal specialist advised against surgery but explained that due to her sight loss, she […]

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Latest News
29 Jan 2019
Beacon Centre for the Blind: Care Assistant

Beacon Centre for the Blind: Care Assistant

Job title: Care Assistant Closing date: rolling contract Contract: full-time 37.5 hours/week Salary: £8.49 per hour  Beacon Centre for the Blind is the oldest and largest Visual Impairment charity within the West Midlands. At Beacon Domiciliary care, we provide support to adults with personal care, to enable them to live independently in their own home for as long as possible. We are currently looking to recruit care assistants within the community on a full time basis (37.5 hours). Hourly rate is £8.49 per hour. It is essential that applicants have a driving licence and access to their own vehicle. The role involves providing support to adults who find difficulty in carrying out daily routine tasks such as cooking; cleaning; washing dishes; escorting to appointments; preparation of meals; bathing and toileting. We are looking for someone who: is flexible can work alternate weekends as well as full days has experience of working with vulnerable adults is an excellent communicator is empathetic, has patience and is caring by nature A qualification within the health asocial care industry is desirable. All successful candidates will be required to undertake a DBS check, have a full driving licence and access to their own vehicle. Personal or paid […]

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Vacancies

Maha Urbanski – Membership Engagement Coordinator
8 Feb 2019

What’s your professional background? My background is fairly eclectic: I have worked in HR, administration, project assistant and front of house roles, within the manufacturing, engineering and heritage sectors What do you do (at Visionary)? I provide administrative, coordination and CRM support to my team to ensure that we are meeting our members’ needs. What do you like most about working for Visionary? The work we do makes such a difference! Our mission statement is so important and I believe our team strives to achieve it.  The team is ever-evolving their ideas and ways to support the VI community.  Why work in the VI sector? The VI sector does amazing, life-changing work. It’s inspiring and a privilege to be part of this wonderful organisation. If you could be anywhere on Friday afternoon where would it be? You’ll likely find me in a museum or art gallery or having a film night with friends.

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Latest News
11 Feb 2019
Beacon Centre for the Blind: Health and Wellbeing Assistant (Stourbridge)

Beacon Centre for the Blind: Health and Wellbeing Assistant (Stourbridge)

Job title: Health and Wellbeing Assistant (Stourbridge) Salary: £7.83 per hour Contract: 18 hours per week, part-time, permanent Closing date: Ongoing until vacancy has been filled Job description: download here We are currently looking for a part time Health and Wellbeing Assistant for our Stourbridge Day Centre. The ideal candidate will work as a team with other assistant to deliver care for Beacon clients to enable their safety and independence as far as possible. Please refer to the job description for further details. All successful candidates will be required to undertake a DBS check, have a full driving licence and access to their own vehicle. The post holder may also be required to do some evening work. The Beacon offer excellent benefits, including a generous holiday allowance, Death in Service scheme, Simply Health Cash Plan, generous pension scheme. If you are interested in applying for the above vacancy please submit a completed application form to hr@beaconvision.org If you do not hear within two weeks of applying please assume you have been unsuccessful.

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Vacancies

Sutton Vision
13 Feb 2019

Job Title: Administrator Responsible to: Development Manager Location: Sutton Vision Office/Community Venues Hours: 20 per week Salary: £18.800 (FTE for 35 hours) Closing date: Friday 1 March 2019 Interview date: W/C Monday 4 March 2019 Full application pack: here Sutton Vision is a local charity offering information, support and assistance to visually impaired residents, carers and professionals working with people affected by sight loss in the London Borough of Sutton. Sutton Vision services start from a recognition of the psychological and practical impact of visual impairment. Funding for these services comes from the Greater London Fund for the Blind, Sutton CCG and Epsom & St Heliers NHS Trust. Our main key focus is: • information and advice • advocacy provided by the Eye Clinic Liaison service • community low vision clinics and advice about low vision aids • an activity programme promoting health and wellbeing to prevent social isolation • digital technology workshops • volunteering opportunities How to apply If you are interested in this position, please email your CV and a supporting statement (no more than 500 words) please ensure that you include the job tile within the subject heading to info@suttonvision.org.uk  

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Vacancies

John Grounds
20 Feb 2019

  John Grounds John is an experience consultant in organisational, brand and communication strategy, campaigning, fundraising, organisational and personal development. He has spent nearly 30 years working at the highest level with some of the UK’s leading not for profit, public and private sector organisations. He was deputy chief executive and director of marketing and campaigns for the RSPCA and prior to that established the NSPCC’s child protection consultancy between 2009 and 2012. As director of communications with NSPCC  he led, integrated and coordinated the public face of NSPCC’s FULL STOP campaign. He has also worked for other prominent organisations including Action Medical Research, Barnardos and the Body Shop. John was also the Chair of trustees of Charity Comms, the professional development body for communicators in the not-for-profit sector for 10 year and is currently a member of the Cabinet Office Communications Evaluation Council and a former member of the boards of the Foundation for Social Improvement, Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), the Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre (CEOP) and the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS).

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Leadership Conferences

Workshop Sessions and Speakers
20 Feb 2019

Speakers John Grounds  Putting brand, marketing and communications at the heart of your organisation Charities come in all shapes and sizes. So do budgets and expectations! Whether large or small, with dozens of staff or just one, brand, marketing and communications are at the heart of your organisation’s success. Fulfilling your purpose as a charity depends on your ability to integrate effectively and engage with audiences of all kinds – whether in their tens or in their millions. As a CEO or trustee, you have a key role to play in making that happen. This session will help you to develop a more integrated organisation, demystify brand, identify your audiences and use straightforward marketing and communications strategy models. Using practical examples from many years of experience in the sector the session will give you the confidence and the tools to reinforce the role of brand, marketing and communications in your organisation.   Fiona Sandford Trustee Session: Being the best you can be As Trustees you hold the charity’s future in your hands. Good boards know what they are for, what they do and why they do it. This workshop will discuss: Why are you there? Who are you when you are […]

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Latest News

Visionary Leadership Conference 2019 – Provisional Programme
20 Feb 2019

Visionary Leadership Conference 2019 – Provisional Programme 09.30 – 10.00 Registration and networking, coffee/tea 10.00 – 10.15 Welcome and opening remarks Alison Oliver 10.15 – 11.45 Key note speaker John Grounds: The integrated organisation and the role of brand, communications and marketing. 11.45 – 12.00 Short coffee break 12.00 – 12.30 Plenary discussion break-out session 1 12.00 – 12.30 Plenary discussion break-out session 2 12.30 – 12.45 Feedback to whole group 12.45 – 13.30 Lunch and networking 13.30 – 14.45 CEO session 1 Alison Oliver – Resilience, relationships and self-care (Main conference room) 13.30 – 14.45 Trustee session 1 Fiona Sandford – Being the best you can be (Break out room) 14.45 – 15.00 Coffee break 15.00 – 16.15 Small organisation session – Thomas Pocklington Trust’s volunteering team – Maximising volunteers in every aspect of your work 15.00 – 16.15 Large organisation session – Philippa Crowther, Wilberforce Trust – Dealing with a multifaceted organisation 16.15 – 16.30 Summing up

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Latest News
20 Feb 2019
Leadership Conference 2019

Leadership Conference 2019

Leadership Conference 2019 We are excited to welcome you back for another year of networking, sharing and working towards a better future for blind at partially sight people. Based on your feedback from last year we have tailored the structure to be better suite your organisation’s needs. The conference workshops will be divided between CEOs and Trustees and small and large organisations. We are also focusing on topics that you suggested would be more relevant, such as; fundraising and marketing, coping as a CEO and separate forums for CEOs and Trustees. Please take the time to explore the workshop sessions, speakers and provisional programme following the links below: Workshop Sessions and Speakers Provisional Programme   Dates and Locations 08 May: Newcastle – The Assembly Rooms 16 May: London – Pocklington Hub 23 May: Birmingham – Conference Aston Meeting Suites Fees Full-members £35 A/B members £20 Sighted guide £10 There will be a £50 travel subside for A and B members, which can be claimed back after the conference after completing and submitting a claim form or an invoice with copies of purchase receipts.    Book Now  

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Events Leadership Conferences
20 Feb 2019
London – Pocklington Hub

London – Pocklington Hub

Address: Pocklington Hub Entrance D Tavistock House South Tavistock Square London WC1H 9LG Directions: download here Meeting space Lord Chris Holmes Room             Sue Townsend Room             Chris Holmes and Sue Townsend with partition removed  

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Latest News
20 Feb 2019
Conference Aston Meeting Suites

Conference Aston Meeting Suites

Address: Conference Aston Meeting Suites Aston University Main Building Aston Street Birmingham B4 7ET Directions: click here Meeting space  

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Events
20 Feb 2019
The Assembly Rooms

The Assembly Rooms

Address: Bonbar, The Assembly Rooms Fenkle Street Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 5XU Directions: click here Meeting Space The Regency Wedgewood

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Events

Giulia Vitaletti – Member Engagement Coordinator
21 Feb 2019

What do you do at Visionary? I work with the Member Engagement team and support the Visionary Internal Services department. What do you like most about working for Visionary? I enjoy liaising with charities delivering a positive change and seeing first-hand the impact of their works on the lives of visually impaired people.   Why work in the VI (visual impairment) sector? Charities can play such a key role to improve the quality of life of people and it is great that through our work we can create an opportunity for this to happen to people living with sight loss. If you could be anywhere on a Friday afternoon where would it be? At home with my family, singing Disney songs out loud – the children’s favourite! – and getting ready to enjoy a nice meal.

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Latest News
26 Feb 2019
York Blind and Partially Sighted Society: Rebrand – MySight York

York Blind and Partially Sighted Society: Rebrand – MySight York

MySight York is celebrating 40 years of enabling people to live well with sight loss MySight York is the new name for York’s long established charity, York Blind & Partially Sighted Society.  In 2019 they celebrate their 40th anniversary and the time seemed right for modernising. Karen Froggatt, Chief Executive of MySight York says: “Our look and name felt dated and it really didn’t convey what we are all about. We are an important part of the community and our services are available to everyone. “We help anyone affected by sight loss no matter what their circumstances are and we are there for their friends and family too. When one of our members said, ‘You can’t say MySight York without smiling!’ I knew the name was perfect “ MySight York has a simple core value of enabling everyone to ‘live well with sight loss’. Their services enable people to make confident choices about all aspects of their lives in order to combat the practical and emotional challenges of losing your sight. Their staff are able to offer practical advice, emotional support and information. They can demonstrate a vast range of equipment and guide people in the use of technology. They also run […]

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Latest News
12 Mar 2019
4Siight Vision Support: Relationship Fundraising Manager

4Siight Vision Support: Relationship Fundraising Manager

Job title: Relationship Fundraising Manager Salary: £25,000-£27,000 per annum Location: Based in Bognor Regis – covering West Sussex Hours: 35 hours per week (some occasional evenings and weekends) Contract: 18 Months Closing Date:  Friday 29 March 2019   Are you looking for a new challenge? 4Sight Vision Support has been providing support for people with sight loss across West Sussex for almost 100 years. We are now providing you with the opportunity to manage our relationship fundraising across West Sussex to help to make a real difference to the lives of over 2000 people and their families. This is initially an 18-month contract with the possibility of an extension, subject to the availability of funding. You will be a senior member of the fundraising team leading 4Sight Vision Support’s Supporter Relationship Fundraising strategy in West Sussex, with a focus on maximising the value, diversity and longevity of the supporter relationship portfolio. Leading a small team of staff and volunteers, you will develop and implement multi-year plans and budgets to significantly increase income to include current and prospective supporters, major donors, strategic commercial and corporate partnerships, one-off gifts, sponsorship and legacies. You are an excellent communicator with the energy, drive and communication […]

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Vacancies

Enable Funding: how it supported Wirral Society for the Blind and Partially Sighted to review their services and develop business planning
21 Mar 2019

Enable Funding: how it supported Wirral Society for the Blind and Partially Sighted to review their services and develop business planning Enable grants are awarded to charities which have identified clear development needs and provide a great opportunity to strengthen charities to deliver more effectively. Through receiving feedback following an unsuccessful funding application, WSBPS identified areas where our organisation needed further development and approaches to monitoring and evaluation our services.  From here, we came across a programme launched by the Lloyds Charitable Trust, ‘ENABLE,’ set up to provide support to Charities specific areas and improve systems, approaches and forward planning for stronger sustainability. Following a successful application, we received £15,000 over 18 months to bring in external consultants to work with us.  We are in the final six months of the project and have made really good progress through a full organisational review, more efficient and effective systems including financial forecasting, controls and managing and minimising future risks and challenges. WSBPS would recommend this programme if your Charity is facing uncertainties as it will provide that extra support that can help you see things differently. It’s a straight forward application with good guidelines through the whole process. What Enable Grants […]

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